An estimated 800,000 people die by suicide annually and Nigeria now ranks among the top suicide prone countries according to the WHO. Nigeria’s suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 population ranks 10th in Africa and 67th in the world. The recent trend in suicide cases in Nigeria has been attributed to several underlying factors including depression, unfulfilled dreams, heartbreak, lack of job security, desperation to make it all all cost, inferiority complex, breakdown in traditional family structures among other causes. Mental health experts also warned that there will be more suicide attempts by Nigerians due to the increasing cases of depression, the leading cause of suicide. But the baffling aspect is the demography of suicide cases, which shows that it mostly involves young and able-bodied people (between the ages of 18 and 35).

More baffling though is that most of those involved in suicide in the recent past were professing CHRISTIANS and regular church goers. So what could goad an able-bodied, supposed follower of Christ decide to end his/her own life since Christ Himself warned us about having tribulations in the world (John 16:33)? The unfortunate decisions of these ones to end their God-given life can only be borne out of INGRATITUDE to the Giver of Life. The above listed factors are common to most people, most especially Christians but a heart that is always filled with radical gratitude to our Creator will remain joyful and at peace in ALL circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ; Colossians 3:15). In 2 Timothy 3:2, Paul described what people will be like in the last days, and one characteristic is INGRATITUDE. When pride and self-rule become fashionable, the human heart has no one to thank. We become convinced of our own supremacy and consider all we have and all we aspire to be as a just reward for our efforts or our birthright.

INGRATITUDE and selfishness have become an integral part of our society today, especially towards our Ultimate Benefactor. INGRATITUDE is a product of PRIDE, IDOLATRY and LACK OF FAITH - it's not so much a cause of evil but the result of it. Once we harden our hearts to the point that we no longer see God as the Source of our lives and gifts, nothing is off-limits. We become a law unto ourselves. One reason the Bible takes such a strong stance against unthankfulness and INGRATITUDE may be that God knows that the end result of such arrogance is a reprobate mind (Romans 1:24). When we remind ourselves often that all we are and all we have is a gift from God (James 1:17), we are guarding ourselves against idolatry and pride. INGRATITUDE is a tool the devil uses to lead a person into total rebellion against God. It lends to an individual a feeling of false sense of self-worth, that he deserves more. If not checked, it becomes a plague of discontent that soon infects others, such as Satan's INGRATITUDE spread to other angels. As the attitude of INGRATITUDE continues to spread among the youths of this generation, so will suicidal thoughts and attempts continue to be recorded because we live in a broken world where all the aforementioned causes of suicide are inevitable and cannot be eradicated but will only get worse.

We can't exonerate or brush aside the role of the churches in this disheartening trend. Since our moral values and ethos have been on a sharp decline in Nigeria, the Christian churches have unfortunately taken the same direction. The gospel of material wealth, miracles, fame and power at all cost is now the regular and common theme in most denominational churches today, no wonder the self-denial and godliness that used to mark out Christians from the world have become scarce lifestyles even in most churches. Regardless of how you may view it, it's another serious indictment on the Church in Nigeria.

May our Divine Benefactor, among His many other blessings, bestow upon us that of a thankful heart, and enable us to give sincere, fervent, and perpetual praise to His Name, through Jesus Christ, His Unspeakable Gift! Amen.